Welcome to the book blitz for THE DEVIL’S PACT, the third book in the young adult/new adult historical dark fantasy series, The Devil’s Revolver, by V.S. McGrath. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway. You can read my 5-star review of THE DEVIL’S REVOLVER, book one in the series, here.

SynopsisHold on to your hats — the Devil’s Revolver series is back with an evil twin, deep magic, zombies, menacing grand balls, a train heist, hand-to-hand high-stakes battles, and two sisters who have grown in their power to face and fight the end of the Weird West.

If Hettie Alabama could do what she was told and stand down . . . she might not anyway. Especially when the letters her sister sends from her place of hiding don’t seem quite right, and Hettie’s posse is tying her hands tighter by the day. She’s itching to take the safety off her cursed mage gun, the Devil’s Revolver, and walk through the fire to end the reign of evil that’s choking the magic out of the West—not to mention save her sister once and for all.

The only problem? Hettie’s name is in the headlines and on every wanted poster in the nation—but she’s not the one robbing banks and killing innocents, even if the pictures look just like her. She’s up to her chin in high-necked gowns and beauty glamors, charged with fulfilling her word to the influential Favreau family of New Orleans, even as it becomes increasingly clear that they want only to consolidate the world’s waning magic in the hands of the rich and powerful. The politics get more personal as the most loyal of Hettie’s gang uncover the threat of an immoderate technology that steals magic from the unwitting innocent and transfers it to the nefarious elite.

Hettie has no choice but to go rogue, and when she drops a black hat over her brow, the Devil’s Revolver’s trigger glows hot. The Devil’s Pact stampedes from San Francisco’s Chinatown tongs through the glittering high society of Chicago to the hidden swamps of the Deep South in its search for truth, genuine justice, and an end to a world that refuses to recognize the power and change wrought by girls.

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Excerpt #3She clambered over the rooftops, jumping the gaps between buildings with relative ease, since they were so close together. She spotted a large canvas-covered cart in the street pulled by four ragged horses. It was one of those old covered wagons like they used back when settlers were still making their way across the country, and it looked out of place in the city. Hettie climbed down a fire escape, but as she wove through traffic, the time bubble popped—

Suddenly, she was smack-dab in the middle of oncoming traffic. A man shouted and hauled on his reins. His hansom cab buckled violently, and the horse reared. Hettie scampered out of the way of its hooves and directly into the path of another cart. The man’s horses faltered and tried to skirt around her, but then the cart they were pulling plowed into them, and they whinnied in panic, veering to the side and crashing into another rider.

Hettie ran toward the covered wagon, summoning Diablo and trying to re-establish the time bubble. No good. The same thing had happened during the train robbery.

A man peeked out of the covered wagon. He shouted and drew his sidearm. Hettie zigzagged to avoid the gunshots and pulled Diablo’s trigger, unleashing a blast of green power that incinerated the man’s arm up to his shoulder.

Two more men appeared with rifles. Hettie ducked left and rolled behind a cart as the bullets bit into the cab, showering her with splinters. The passengers within screamed.

Traffic ground to a halt and people dove out of their vehicles while the drivers tried to get their horses under control. The covered wagon surged forward and plowed through the street while the men in the back continued an assault on the cab Hettie hid behind.

She had to stop that wagon.

She whipped around the corner and fired. Diablo let out a wide beam of power that took out the right two wheels. The wagon collapsed with a loud crash, sending up a wake of splinters. The whole right side of the wagon tore off, and the canopy ripped away from the U-shaped frame as it snapped up like angry fish spines.

People screamed as carts, drivers and pedestrians tried to escape the gunfire and chaos. Horses thrashed and reared, whinnying as the vehicles piled up. Hettie ran toward the wagon.

It was empty. Unless Dr. Fielding had somehow escaped…

One of the men with the rifles who’d tumbled from the wagon pushed up off the ground. He spotted Hettie and, in a panic, reached for his pistol.

Hettie pointed Diablo at him. “Don’t.”

He blinked at her. “I-I-I’m sorry, Mizzay, I didn’t realize—” He stuttered to a stop. “Wait, you’re not—”

Hettie cocked Diablo for show. “Where’s Dr. Fielding?”

He gaped. “I—I don’t know—”

Hettie blew a molten hole in the ground next to his feet, and he stumbled back. “Where is he?”

“I was just supposed to stay in the cart! I don’t know anything!” His eyes canted left. Hettie reacted a second too late.

Someone cinched an arm around her neck and dragged her backward. Hettie struggled, dropping Diablo as she tried to pry her fingers under the man’s elbow to get a breath.

She sank her teeth into the man’s thick muscle, then slammed her heel into his shin, twisting to throw him off balance. He yelped and let go. She dove for Diablo and before she could stop herself, fired.

The man’s shriek was cut off almost instantly as he evaporated, flaring like a hellish green grease fire.

The agony of the revolver’s blood price was instant, shredding through skin, flesh and bone as it extracted one year of Hettie’s life for the life she’d taken. The pain went on and on, as if she were the one being consumed by flame. It’d been months since she’d killed a man; months since she’d slaked Diablo’s bloodthirst. And the mage gun’s appetite was insatiable. For a flash, she thought she was back in hell, being swallowed and forced down into Satan’s gullet—and then it was over.

Through the haze of relief, Hettie barely registered the person standing over her, pistol drawn, its blank, black eye winking at her.

About the AuthorVicki So, writing as V. S. McGrath, is a published romance author (as Vicki Essex) and has six books with Harlequin Superromance: Her Son’s Hero (July 2011); Back to the Good Fortune Diner (January 2013), which was picked for the Smart Bitches Trashy Books Sizzling Book Club; In Her Corner (March 2014); A Recipe for Reunion (March 2015); Red Carpet Arrangement (January 2016); and Matinees with Miriam (November 2016). She lives in Toronto, Canada.

Welcome to the blog tour for TWO THOUSAND YEARS, the first book in the new adult fantasy series, The Empire Saga, byM. Dalto. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.

SynopsisTwo thousand years ago, the Prophecy of Fire and Light foretold the coming of the Queen Empress who would lead the Empire into a time of peace and tranquility. But instead of the coming of a prosperous world, a forbidden love for the Empress waged a war that ravaged the land, creating a chasm between the factions, raising the death toll of innocent lives until the final, bloody battle.

Centuries later, Alexandra, a twenty-two-year-old barista living in Boston, is taken to an unfamiliar realm of mystery and magic where her life is threatened by Reylor, its banished Lord Steward. She crosses paths with Treyan, the arrogant and seductive Crown Prince of the Empire, and together they discover how their lives, and their love, are so intricately intertwined by a Prophecy set in motion so many years ago.

Alex, now the predestined Queen Empress Alexstrayna, whose arrival was foretold by the Annals of the Empire, controls the fate of her new home as war rages between the Crown Prince and Lord Steward. Either choice could tear her world apart as she attempts to keep the Empire’s torrid history from repeating itself. In a realm where betrayal and revenge will be as crucial to her survival as love and honor, Alex must discover whether it is her choice – or her fate – that determines how she survives the Empire’s rising conflicts.

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Excerpt #4Her hand grasped at her breast as she tried to catch her breath. The material of her dress clung to her sweat-soaked body as she heaved for air. Wiping away tears from her cheeks, she realized it was a dream, and only a dream. Even as she could still feel the heat of his breath against her skin, and the weight of those restraints around her wrists…

It was only a dream.

But still, it felt too real, and that terrified her all the same.

Calming herself, she looked around to find herself in yet another strange room. This room was better furnished, at least from what she could tell. The mahogany bed was extremely comfortable and nearly a fortress with four posts rising to the ceiling and sheer curtains creating a canopy. The comforter was made of fine fur and filled with down and on either side of the bed were matching double-drawered bedside tables.

Finally, able to calm her heart after the jolt of waking, she flopped herself back down on the mound of pillows underneath her head and let out a breath she didn’t even know she was holding.

She needed to think.

She tried to wrap her head around all that had transpired over these last few days—at least she thought it was days. Time was starting to waver, and she felt like a stranded sailor at sea. Of course, it was hard for her to discern the time when sleep kept falling upon her time and again, and now she felt robbed of both time and information. As to what exactly was happening, however, she was still in the dark—literally and figuratively.

According to what Treyan told her, she was a prophesized Empress for a world she didn’t know existed, being hunted by his estranged twin brother for who knows whatever reason.

She’d have thought him completely insane if not for the dreams she had the night before…

She shuddered at the memory.

Rolling to her side, Alex closed her eyes for a moment as she tried to collect her thoughts. She wondered if anyone in Boston was missing her yet—if Crystal had sounded an alarm after her phone call, or if she assumed Alex was merely overreacting after a night of excessive drinking. Knowing Crystal, she’d probably remain in bed all weekend nursing the hangover she liked to enjoy for days, regardless of the concern Alex’s call may have instilled.

Thinking about home made her groan and sink deeper into the blankets. She needed to get back. The comfort of the bed, and the care Treyan seemed to have for her well-being, they weren’t enough to keep her here. Whatever fantasy he may have had about who she was and what she was supposed to do was just that—nothing more than some delusion that there was an alternate world where she mattered. If she remained any longer, playing into this farce, she was bound to lose her mind, among everything else.

No, she needed to get home. She needed to get back to the world she actually knew, even if there wasn’t much waiting for her there. Even if it was a shitty job and a small apartment waiting for her, it was still her home.

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Author M. Dalto

About the AuthorM. Dalto is a fiction author of adventurous romantic fantasy and her debut novel, Two Thousand Years, won one of Wattpad’s Watty Awards in 2016. She continues to volunteer her time as an Ambassador, where she hopes to engage and inspire new writers. She spends her days as a full-time residential real estate paralegal, using her evenings to pursue her literary agenda. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading fantasy novels, playing video games, and drinking coffee. She currently lives in Massachusetts with her husband, their daughter, and their corgi named Loki.

Welcome to the book blitz for SECRET LADY, the third book in the new adult time-traveling fantasy romance series, Ladies in Time, by Beth Trissel. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.

SynopsisAt Lavender House, Evie McIntyre is haunted by the whispers from her bedroom closet. Before she can make sense of their murmurs, the house “warbles” between times and transports her to the Civil War. Past and present have blended, and Evie wishes she’d paid more attention to history. Especially since former Confederate officer, Jack Ramsey, could use a heads up.

Torn between opposing forces, Jack struggles to defend the valley and people he loves. Meeting Evie turns his already tumultuous world upside down. Will solving the mystery of the whispers return her home, and will the handsome scout be by her side?

Against the background of Sheridan’s Burning of the Shenandoah Valley, Jack and Evie fight to save their friends and themselves – or is history carved in stone?

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Excerpt #2“They brought the draft back?” This was it. She had officially lost her mind.

“It never went away. Where have you been, miss? More to the point, who are you?” His gruff demand stirred the hair at her cheek.

She tilted her face at him. Only the barest outline of his strong features was visible, and yet… Man, was he hot. Focus Evie. “I told you. I’m Evie McIntyre. I live here with my grandmother. Didn’t you realize?”

“That so? I don’t suppose you would be a spy in a Mennonite house. Still. Never know. I best get a good look at you.”

“Who would I be spying for?”

“Rebs. Neither side wishes me well. I’m in no man’s land.”

Her heart drummed wildly. “Where does that leave me?”

“That’s the question, isn’t it?” He steadied Evie on her feet.

Was it? She had no idea what was going on and watched dazedly as he took something from the leather pouch hanging over his shoulder. “What’s that?”

“Lucifers.”

He’d lost her again. There must be a powerful resistance movement at work. She didn’t follow politics. Maybe she should. Had matters come to an explosive head tonight? Why hadn’t her grandmother said something?

He drew what resembled matches from a small metal container and struck one. Sulphurous sparks added pungency to the room. He lit the stubby candle in a tin lantern on an end table. Shadows danced from the pale taper glowing through the punches in the metal. Pretty, how the light made patterns on the ceiling.

Wait. Where had that lantern come from?

The stained-glass lamp Grandma G. treasured was just there before she went to bed. Dear God in heaven. What had happened to the room?

About the AuthorMarried to my high school sweetheart, I live on a farm in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with my people and furbabies. An avid gardener, I grow herbs and heirloom flowers and use them in my stories. The rich history of Virginia, the Native Americans, and the Scots-Irish are at the heart of my inspiration. My English/Scots-Irish ancestors were among the earliest settlers in America and the valley. I write historical romance set in the colonial frontier (The Native American Warrior Series), and the American Revolution (The Traitor’s Legacy Series). Some of my historicals include ghosts and other paranormal elements. I also write Young Adult shapeshifter/ fantasy romance (The Secret Warrior Series), and New Adult time travel/time slip romance, Somewhere in Time, and my latest ongoing series, Ladies in Time. I also write single titles and nonfiction.

Author Scarlett St. Clair is revealing the cover to WHEN THE SKY FALLS, the second book in her young adult urban fantasy series When Stars Come Out, releasing in 2019. See below for the cover, information on the book and series, and a link to add it to your Goodreads TBR.

WHEN THE SKY FALLS (When Stars Come Out #2) by Scarlett St. Clair

About the Book – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited
Title: WHEN THE SKY FALLSSeries: When Stars Come Out #2Author: Scarlett St. ClairRelease Date: 2019Genre: Young Adult Urban FantasyLinks: Goodreads

SynopsisAnora Silby has reached an uneasy alliance with the Order—she will ferry souls into Spirit and help weaken Influence, a God of Chaos who grows in power. To do this, she must train and learn to summon the Adamantine Gates.

But Influence isn’t Anora’s only enemy. Mysterious figures watch her from a distance and Valryn from all over the states begin to protest her freedom. Not to mention, Roth DuPont, the current head of the Order, is essentially holding her hostage.

Then a prominent Elite is found murdered, and all evidence points to the Eurydice.

Shy Savior knows Anora didn’t commit the crime, but proving her innocents becomes difficult when he discovers she’s been conspiring with death-speakers—an act that is considered treason by the Order. As he searches for the real murderer, Shy uncovers threads that lead him to truths that will change his—and Anora’s—world forever.

About the AuthorScarlett St. Clair lives in Oklahoma with her husband. She has a Master’s degree in Library Science and Information Studies and spends a lot of time researching reincarnation, unsolved murders and Greek mythology-all of which made it into her debut novel, When Stars Come Out.

Welcome to the book blitz for THE STONE AWAKENED, the second book in the young adult paranormal fantasy series, Guardians of Erin, by Judith Sterling. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.

SynopsisSince moving to Ireland, Ashling Donoghue has tackled one challenge after another. Now the mystery of her parents’ disappearance seems unsolvable. Are they dead or only missing? No one—not even the godlike Breasals—has a clue. Hope and fear war inside her, but she’s determined to find answers and stay strong for her siblings. Even as she hones newfound powers, her banshee-in-training sister Deirdre needs her support.

Ashling could use a little help herself. She’s struggling to navigate her first romance, and while Aengus Breasal stirs her body, mind, and soul, his nemesis Lorcan does too. Both men harbor secrets about her past life as Caer. One has ties to Aoife, the scheming wind demon whose influence is on the rise.

As the Stone of Destiny awakens, so does the conflict within.

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Excerpt #1Thunder shook the night as the Dullahan’s black stallion reared beneath him on the sweeping lawn below. The horseman thrust his severed head toward the sky and called out the names of those he hunted.

“Dylan Donoghue! Maeve Donoghue!”

Powerless to stop him, I watched from the bedroom window. The glass panes infused my palms with the chill of death itself. Out of sight, my parents screamed, then fell silent. The sound of laughter followed.

Exultant. Spiteful. Malignant.

Aoife! The wind demon whose foul plot shattered my family with a single blow.

Hate and despair welled inside me. “No!”

“Ashling, wake up!” My sister shook me awake.

She switched on the lamp between our beds, and I scanned the room. The same sash windows as in the dream. The same luxurious décor in shades of periwinkle, white, and gray. Even my slippers beside the bed were the same. But the night was quiet, and there was no immediate danger.

Deirdre tucked her long, blonde hair behind her ears and gave me a knowing look. “Another nightmare about the Dullahan?”

Nodding, I wiped the sweat from my brow. “And Aoife.”

“Sounds almost as bad as my dream the night he took Mom and Dad.”

“We don’t know he took them.”

“We don’t know he didn’t.”

“They’re not dead!” Dread clutched my heart, and I pushed out a long breath to calm myself. “They can’t be.”

About the AuthorJudith Sterling’s love of history and passion for the paranormal infuse everything she writes. Flight of the Raven, Soul of the Wolf, and Shadow of the Swan are part of her medieval romance series, The Novels of Ravenwood. The Cauldron Stirred and The Stone Awakened are part of her young adult paranormal series, Guardians of Erin. Written under Judith Marshall, her nonfiction books—My Conversations with Angels and Past Lives, Present Stories—have been translated into multiple languages. She has an MA in linguistics and a BA in history, with a minor in British Studies. Born in that sauna called Florida, she craved cooler climes, and once the travel bug bit, she lived in England, Scotland, Sweden, Wisconsin, Virginia, and on the island of Nantucket. She currently lives in Salem, Massachusetts with her husband and their identical twin sons.

Welcome to the book blitz for CAPTIVE REBEL, the first book in the young adult fantasy romance series, The Allegiance, by Erin McDermott. See below information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.

SynopsisIn a world where Greek Gods rule over the Allegiance, Marylyn O’Conner struggles to survive.

Marylyn is a rebel, forced to do the rebellion’s bidding until an unforgiving family debt is paid. A pawn in the war against the Allegiance, she is obligated to become a rebel spy, or her family will suffer.

When word spreads that an Allegiant Prince, Ariston, has escaped rebel captivity vowing to hunt down rebel spies, Marylyn realizes her only hope is to escape Allegiant territory.

While on the run, Ariston captures Marylyn, preventing her from any chance of returning home. Desperate, she knows she needs to escape her alluring captor or risk the safety of her family.

But Marylyn can’t keep herself from falling for the mysterious prince as she finds that he can empathize with her troublesome past – a past no ally has understood before.

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Excerpt #2I leaned over the edge of the boat, attempting to gain a better view. There it was – a horse galloping toward the village. I held my breath, squinting to see if there was any more movement hidden within the trees.

There was.

Actually, there was a lot of movement. There must have been over a hundred horses rapidly approaching the village – all after us. I felt as if my heart was going to burst out of my chest. “Uh, guys…” I stammered, not removing my eyes from the scene unfolding in front of me. “We have a bit of a situation here.”

Ian stood next to me, his breathing was relaxed. “Time to go,” he said all too passively.

I looked at him, perplexed. “Are you even scared? They’re coming after us.”

He cocked an eyebrow but said nothing. Then, he walked over to Jarvis [The boat’s captain] and whispered something in his ear just before the boat’s engine roared to life.

Ignoring Ian’s indifference, I continued to panic. Running to Jarvis I asked, “How fast can this thing go?”

He rolled his eyes. “Those men ain’t even at the village yet. We’re the only docked boat anyway. What are they gonna do, grab an imaginary boat and chase after us?” He laughed mockingly.

The water below the boat churned to life. Finally, we were off. I watched as we distanced ourselves from the island, and as the men came riding into the village. They were too late.

Thank the gods.

From a distance, I could see Prince Ariston ride ahead of his men and halt at the end of the beaten down dock. I could feel his menacing and unforgiving glare directed at us. I looked over to Ian, who was staring back at Ariston. His face was void of emotion.

“So Ian, how badly did you treat Prince Ariston when he was your captive?”

He glanced my way for only a quick moment as he said, “Badly.”

Judging by Ian’s serious demeanor, I knew we were against a determined prince who sought revenge.

We were far from safety.

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Author Erin McDermott

About the AuthorErin McDermott was born and raised in New Jersey. She graduated college with a bachelors degree in History. If she’s not in her room writing, you may find somewhere on the Jersey Shore with her family. She has been writing stories since 3rd grade. It was not until after experiencing the fast-paced life New York City had to offer that she decided to finally take the plunge and finish her first book, CAPTIVE REBEL (The Allegiance, Book 1).

During her years in college she expressed a deep interest in Greek Mythology, which she incorporates into The Allegiance Series. She is incredibly grateful to her family for supporting her throughout the trials and tribulations of the independent publishing process..

Author Belle Malory is unveiling the cover to ELECTRIC SKIES, the fifth book in her young adult fantasy romance series, Twelfth Keeper, releasing March 8, 2019. See below for the cover, information on the book, and pre-order links.

SynopsisThe strange planet Kennedy has called home for the last year transformed her into something more powerful than she ever imagined.

But it’s not home.

It’s not Earth.

And most importantly, it doesn’t have Phoenix.

Faced with life-altering decisions, Kennedy is forced to abandon everything she’s built for an uncertain future. The journey won’t be easy, but she’s survived greater odds. If it means reclaiming the life she lost, she’ll do whatever it takes. Even if it means letting go of something she never expected to want.

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Author Belle Malory

About the AuthorI don’t consider myself a writer. I’m a storyteller. I live in Orlando, FL with my family. Keep up with me on social media. I love hearing from readers!

Welcome to the blog tour for SCYTHE, the first prequel in the young adult fantasy/dystopian series, Dimension Drift Worlds, by Christina Bauer. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.

SynopsisTruth time. I go to a Learning Squirrel High School. Don’t judge.

On second thought, judge away. Learning Squirrel is one step above attending class in a junkyard. But what do you expect? Everything’s made out of garbage these days. At least, I have my freelance work to keep Mom and me housed, clothed, and fed. How? I’m your regular high school science geek for hire… only my work manipulates space-time. These gigs pay really well, but the government wants people like me dead. Good thing I’m super careful about hiding from their detection systems.

Then I screw up a job. Badly. My house slips into two-dimensional space-time. It only lasts for a few seconds, but the move still sets off about a dozen government alarms. If they track me down, Mom and I are good as dead. Long story short, I need to pay someone off, hide the evidence, and keep us safe.

“Fans of A Wrinkle in Time can’t miss Dimension Drift!” – Christina Trevaskis, The Book Matchmaker

Unfortunately, that means asking the Scythe for help. He runs the local underground crime scene and has absolutely no conscience. Or I’m pretty sure he doesn’t. It’s hard to think straight when a guy’s that hot in an evil Mafioso kingpin kind of way. More importantly, he’s a crime lord who can conceal my slip-up with a few clicks on his minion’s computer keyboards. But the Scythe has his price. In this case, he wants me to finish a certain dimensional prototype for him in twenty-four hours. I can do it, but it might mean Learning Squirrel High gets blown up in the process. Oh yes, and there’s also my new hot classmate who may or may not be an alien… and he says he’ll do anything to help me.

Excerpt“Here’s what happened,” I say. “The Ozymandias factory slipped into two-dimensional space-time for a little while. It’s showing up as a nuclear blast to the Authority because no one’s gone 2-D before.”

“I don’t like Merciless crawling all over my part of the state, Meimi. The Scythe pays big money to stay off grid.”

“I’m sorry. Mom wanted to work the drift and—” I stop myself before saying anything about aliens or finding Luci. “—I guess we got caught up. Please clean things up for me, like you did with RCM1.”

Muscles flicker along Fritz’s thick neck. “Not so easy this time, Meims. You’re coming to me with a major science crime and all of twenty minutes to cover it up.” He narrows his eyes. “And all because you flipped an entire factory into two dimensional space-time.” Fritz presses some buttons on the top of his desk. “Did you hear that, boss?”

My stomach seems to tumble through the floor. Fritz has been transmitting our conversation to the Scythe.

A crackle sounds over the intercom. A deep, silky voice fills the small room. “Bring her in.” I’d know that tone anywhere.

The Scythe.

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About the Author
Christina Bauer knows how to tell stories about kick-ass women. In her best selling Angelbound series, the heroine is a part-demon girl who loves to fight in Purgatory’s Arena and falls in love with a part-angel prince. This young adult best seller has driven more than 500,000 ebook downloads and 9,000 reviews on Goodreads and retailers.

Bauer has also told the story of the Women’s March on Washington by leading PR efforts for the Massachusetts Chapter. Her pre-event press release—the only one sent out on a major wire service—resulted in more than 19,000 global impressions and redistribution by over 350 different media entities including the Associated Press.

Christina graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School with BA’s in English along with Television, Radio, and Film Production. She lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby..

Welcome to the book blitz for CITY OF MASKS, the first book in the adult fantasy series, Bone Mask Trilogy, by Ashley Capes. See below for information on the book, buy links, a exclusive excerpt, and details on his giveaway.

Perched on an unforgiving coast, the city of Anaskar is under threat from enemies within. Its own royal family feuds over possession of sentient bone masks of power, leaving Sofia Falco, daughter to the city’s Lord Protector, to foil a conspiracy designed to strip her father of both his title and powerful Greatmask.

A bitter mercenary accused of murder.

Yet when disaster strikes, Sofia is forced to flee the palace and into the city where she crosses paths with mercenary Notch. But Notch has his own problems – accused of murder, he must fight to clear his name, all the while hunted by the city’s robed assassins, the very people who are now searching for Sofia.

A young Pathfinder seeking vengeance.

Meanwhile, far across the western desert, Pathfinder Ain must overcome his doubts and leave on a hopeless quest. To restore his people to their rightful home, he must unlock the ancient mystery of Anaskar’s Sea Shrine and the gargantuan sea beast that lurks beneath its harbour. Yet all who have gone before him have failed…

Follow three unlikely heroes on an epic fantasy adventure where the struggle over bone masks of power threatens to tear their city – and kingdom – into shreds.

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Chapter 1The chill of prison bars against his temple did little to ease Notch’s headache. Decades of dank didn’t help either, nor snoring from another cell, where someone was impersonating a bear. Or dying. In the poor light it was hard to tell.

Notch squinted. Noon sun barely crept through the small, grated windows on his side of the building. Even cells across the way were shadowed. Sunlight, in addition to a piece of bread and some water, were high points, while the straw ‘bed’ and stale body odour of criminals were typically unpleasant. Worse places than Anaskar City prison existed. At least he hadn’t been beaten yet – a twinge in his shoulder reminded him how much some guards enjoyed their work.

His cellmate raised his voice and Notch turned. The man had probably been speaking for some time; his drawn face was expectant. Years of imprisonment had washed out his Anaskari tan.

Notch leaned against the bars. “What is it, Bren?”

“Did you kill her, truly?”

“No.”

Bren nodded. “Innocent then.” He knelt in the corner, his fine coat of blue long since gone to grime, his face pressed against the stone wall. “Listen to this one.” He scratched at an armpit with some vigour. “It’s hard to see but I think it says ‘death to the Shields of Anaskar’ and it’s got a signature, but I can’t make it out.”

Notch grunted. Nothing special for a convicted man to write; since waking on a pile of old blankets that morning and meeting his cellmate, he’d heard a dozen similar sentiments. Through Bren’s meandering introduction, Notch had winced, probing his body. Both arms and chest were heavily bruised and his head so fragile he wouldn’t be surprised to learn a wagon rolled over it last night. Possibly twice. He wasn’t drunk, though the smell of ale was on his breath. One damn drink, that was all.

And there was blood.

His leathers and tunic were splattered a dark red. Not his own blood, the City Vigil told him as much when they hauled him off the street, as if he couldn’t figure that much out. But whose? His own memory was unreliable, which made no sense. He hadn’t been drunk, truly drunk, since right after the war. When he bore another name. A name he left on some tavern floor, after making a convincing go of drinking the memories away. A good bath did for the sand on his body, but the blood-soaked sand in his mind? No amount of ale had washed that away.

And now the Vigil were telling him he’d been so intoxicated he had to be dragged to the prison?

Unlikely.

“The Shields probably caught him doing something bad, that’s why he wrote this,” Bren continued, tapping on the wall. His too-bright eyes looked up at Notch.

“I’d say so.”

“Like us, Notch. We’ve done bad things, we have.”

“So you keep saying.”

Bren laughed, its shrillness cutting through Notch’s skull. If it hadn’t been unsettling, Notch would have thumped him, but there was something wrong with Bren. Any fool could see that.

“The guards say you’ve got a few days.That they can’t hang you sooner, because there’s too many in the queue. Waiting to hang.”

“Thanks, Bren.”

A moment of quiet fell between them. Distant voices drifted from beyond the prison walls. Notch clenched his jaw. He should have been out there. On his way to another job. The Blue Lady, a fat merchant ship, would have sailed with most of his possessions on board.

His father’s sword.

No chance of seeing it again. He wrapped his hands around cold bars and squeezed.

About the AuthorAshley is an Australian novelist, poet & teacher. You might have read his epic fantasy ‘The Bone Mask Trilogy’ or maybe you’re familiar with his other work, the fantasy/adventure series ‘The Book of Never.’ Either way, you can read more about his books and get access to giveaways and free books via his newsletter below 🙂

Ashley occasionally dabbles in film, is addicted to 80s cartoon shows and Studio Ghibli films, and finds himself constantly awed by the simple beauty of haiku. He is also convinced that ‘Magnum PI’ is one of the greatest TV shows ever.

Welcome to the book blitz for FORGOTTEN GHOSTS,the eighth book in the adult fantasy/paranormal series, Vesik, by Eric R. Asher. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on his giveaway.

SynopsisA necromancer’s fear. A family’s fate. An ancient spirit with a new alliance.

I shouldn’t have told myself things couldn’t get any worse. They did.

As Nixie struggles to unite the water witches, the Fae king discovers a spy in his ranks. We’re forced to split our focus and our powers between the unrest in Faerie and the rising tensions in Falias. When Nudd’s latest gambit puts humanity’s most dangerous weapons into his hands, we can’t let anything stand in our way. We’ll need help from new contacts and trusted allies if we hope to stop the Fae king’s madness.

But the award for worst timing in history goes to an old friend: Vicky.

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Excerpt #2At first, the mass appeared to be a wall of snakes, surging out from one of the cells and splattering against the far wall. But instead of a wet thump, the shadowy forms cracked into the very stone. Among the undulating mass of slithering things, I heard the fall of rock and metal clattering across the floor.

I tried to concentrate on my footing, careful not to twist an ankle, as we attempted to outrun the massive shadows. A moment later, the dullahan’s eyes disappeared in the distance, and those snakelike forms broke into a halo of light. As they crossed through, I could see they were caked in mud, blood, and other viscera I couldn’t identify. One thing I was sure of: they weren’t snakes.

“What is that?” I shouted.

Morrigan glowed. Between one step and the next, the crone became the raven, and she rocketed forward on oily black wings. “Burn them!” the bird squawked.

Throwing an incantation while running was a sure way to miss your target. But one thing Zola had taught me was if you threw a large-enough ball of fire in an enclosed space, you didn’t really need to aim. “Magnus Ignatto!”

I stumbled as the power ripped through me. I felt what was left of the hairs on my arms burn to a crisp. Morrigan, almost distant now, made the turn through the intersection and flew up the stairs. She’d be safe from the heat, though I wasn’t sure if she was susceptible to fire incantations. The chaotic wall of flame shot forward at irregular intervals until it crashed into the writhing mass of what now looked very much like lampreys or dying gray vines draped in gore and dripping blood I suspected was from our allies.

Whatever they were, they were sentient. The instant the flames hit and widened to the point that I couldn’t see down the hallway through the fire and pain in my arms, something else screamed. It wasn’t immediately recognizable as pain, as the sound was so deep and basso it took me a moment to understand the earth wasn’t shaking around me. I let the fires die away and gasped for breath as I stumbled forward, making my way for the staircase as the soles of my boots sizzled on the superheated stone beneath them.

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Author Eric Asher

About the AuthorEric is a former bookseller, cellist, and comic seller currently living in Saint Louis, Missouri. A lifelong enthusiast of books, music, toys, and games, he discovered a love for the written word after being dragged to the library by his parents at a young age. When he is not writing, you can usually find him reading, gaming, or buried beneath a small avalanche of Transformers.

Welcome to the blog tour for RUINS ON STONE HILL, the first book in the young adult fantasy series, Heroes of Ravenford, by F.P. Spirit. See below information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on his giveaway.

That’s what Glolindir thought, until he came across his first real monster.

Luckily, he survived, thanks to his new “friends.”

Lloyd, the reckless young warrior with blades of fire.

Seth, the sarcastic halfling who might be an assassin.

Aksel, the genius little gnome whose very touch can heal.

Little did they know that things were about to go from bad to worse.

After one hundred and fifty years of relative peace, dark forces stir around the little town of Ravenford—monsters, black magic, creatures of the night.

The only thing standing between Ravenford and certain destruction is this band of young misfits.

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Excerpt #3Seth rifled through the bugbears’ belongings, looking for anything of use. Unfortunately, there was nothing. Abruptly, he heard a shout in the hallway.

“Come here!” the voice cried. It was followed by heavy thudding. It swiftly grew louder, then receded.

Seth rushed to the door and opened it a crack. He saw the golem at the end of the hallway, down where the pantry was. He heard a voice yell out. “Knock down the door! Kill them all!”

Telvar! It had to be the wizard. Seth scanned the hall, but could not see anyone. Either he was around the corner or—he was invisible!

That isn’t good. If this wizard could make himself invisible, then he was far more experienced than Glo. In a straight out duel, Telvar would easily kill him. Their only chance was to take this wizard by surprise. Luckily, surprise was Seth’s specialty.

Bang! The sound reverberated down the hall.

The golem’s trying to break into the pantry! Seth had to hurry. He pulled out a grey cloak from his pack and swiftly wrapped it around him. The color was close to the walls of the keep, and would help him blend into the background.

Bang! There was the sound again.

The door will not hold long. Seth crept out into the hall and down toward the pantry. The banging continued, now accompanied by the cracking of wood.

Seth strained his ears, hoping to hear the wizard’s voice again. If I can just pinpoint Telvar’s location…

A disembodied voice cried out, “Harder! Harder!”

The wizard was definitely nearby. Hopefully he would remain focused on the golem, but Seth had to be careful. He would only get one chance at this, and he needed to make it count.

Bang!

Seth reached the corner. The golem stood in front of the pantry door, hammering away at it. It was a mindless creature and would strictly follow its master’s commands. Seth halted, straining his ears for any sign of the wizard.

Bang! Crack!

The golem smashed through the upper part of the pantry door. Seth heard Titan’s voice from inside. “Go, Lloyd! I’ll hold him off until you get down.”

Then a disembodied voice screamed right in front of him, “Kill them all!”

Got him! Venom dagger already in his hand, Seth inched forward. He needed to be within quick stabbing distance to be sure.

He heard Titan yell. “Go, Lloyd! I’ll hold it off until you get down.”

“But Titan…” He heard Lloyd protest.

There was a momentary pause and then Titan yelled, “Now go!”

Seth tried his best to remain detached, but it was difficult. These were the first friends he had in, well, ever. The stone golem kicked in the bottom of the door. Wood went flying everywhere. He chanced a quick peek inside and saw Titan, shield up in front of her, mace in her other hand.

Now that’s brave.

The golem inserted its bulk into the doorway and blocked his view. Seth wrenched his eyes away and listened again for the wizard.

Where was he? He forced himself to ignore the crashing and banging coming from the pantry. There!He could hear heaving breathing right in front of him.

A loud clang resounded in the pantry. That sounded like stone on metal! A cold chill ran up Seth’s spine.

The breathing began to move. Seth followed.

A second clang came from the pantry, and then all sounds stopped. Telvar’s voice screamed out—right in front of him, “Don’t let them escape! Go after them! Down the basement! Kill them all!”

Seth had caught a glimpse of Telvar when he burst in on them in the lab. He estimated the mage to be about five and a half feet tall. With that in mind, he guessed where his heart should be. Bracing himself, he stabbed at an upward angle as hard as he could.

He was rewarded with the feeling of his dagger sliding into something. That was followed by a shrill scream. Seth ignored the cry and invoked the dagger’s magic with a single word, “Venenum.”

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Author F. P. Spirit

About the AuthorF.P. Spirit has always loved fantasy. From the moment he received his very first copy of Lord of the Rings back in high school, he was hooked. Today, somewhere between work and family, F. P. manages to write young adult sword and sorcery fiction. His series, Heroes of Ravenford, chronicles the adventures of a young band of misfits in the dangerous world of Thac. The last book in the series, The Baron’s Heart, is due out this fall.

Welcome to the book blitz for THE VAMPIRE KING’S MATE Book Blitz, the second book in the adult fantasy/paranormal romance series, Fate of Imperium, by C.A. Worley. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway. For a limited time, you can pick up the e-book for just $0.99.

SynopsisFor five long years, Viktor, The Heartless King of Prajna, has ignored the cicatrice on his palm. The birthmark, which awakens only when a vampire’s fated mate is soon to cross his path, is a complication he does not need. A chance encounter with his true mate unexpectedly rocks him to the core. Unwilling to deny the pull of her soul to his, he bonds with the female, believing he can handle the one major obstacle standing in his way of happiness.

When Eden’s betrothal to the Wolf King of the North falls through, she rejoices. For the first time in her life, she believes her fate is her own. She later finds out how very wrong she was, and runs headfirst into the arms of a vampire. Soon, nefarious forces work against the pair. While Viktor tries to protect his mate, Eden learns the consequences of falling for a king who has no heart.

***The Vampire King’s Mate is the second book in the Fate of Imperium Series. Each book is the story of a different king and his fated mate. While the three books do not have to be read in order, it is highly recommended.

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ExcerptEden gulped as the huge male was suddenly in front of her, one hand on each thigh, holding them apart, as he knelt between the V of her legs. He had moved so fast, he must have ported. Her heart pounded, and she used her magic to force the oxygen in her bloodstream to slow its speed.

“Do not do that,” Viktor snarled and tightened his grip on her thighs.

“Do what?” she whispered, adrenaline flooding her system. Her skin felt tight as her hormones surged.

“Whatever you are doing to your heart. It’s contracting, and you are denying it its natural response. You could harm yourself. I will not allow it to continue.”

“You think I am hurting myself?”

“Of course, you are. And I. Do. Not. Like. It,” he gritted through his teeth.

Despite his domineering attitude, his command was endearing. In his own way, he was trying to protect her. Her palm buzzed, then pushed itself to the side of his face.

Viktor held still, feeling the cool leather of her glove touch his cheek. He could feel the cicatrice’s pull as it beckoned to his own. He wanted to feel her skin slide along his, to join their hands as he emptied himself inside her.

Eden released the hold on the oxygen in her veins, allowing her heart to thump wildly while her blood flowed through it. Her breathing accelerated.

Viktor’s eyes moved to the artery on her neck and his fangs elongated as his cock became fully erect. He would need to feed soon. First, he would sample her flesh.

He mimicked her touch and ran his thumb along her bottom lip.

“Tell me, mala vestica, has anyone tasted these before?”

“No,” she panted, reveling in the feel of his skin upon her face.

“Good. I’d hate to have to kill anyone who had dared.”

He barely got the words out before his lips were on hers. She groaned when she felt his tongue enter and explore her mouth. Eden tentatively pressed her tongue to his, and a purring sound came from his throat.

She’d been wrong about his laugh. This was the most wonderful sound to ever reach her ears. Her undergarments flooded with her juices and she inched forward, pressing as hard as she could into his stomach.

Viktor’s hands moved to her backside, lifting her slightly off the chair and rubbing her up and down his abdominal muscles. The scent of her sweet honey filled the air and he couldn’t wait to lap it up.

Eden twisted and pulled at his hair as she wrapped her legs around his waist in a feeble attempt to get better purchase, to feel more pressure between her legs. She could sob from the want.

Viktor broke the kiss, needing to see the yearning in her eyes, wanting her to feel as uncontrolled as he felt.

Eden’s lips were swollen from his sensual assault. Her hooded eyes implored him for more. She squeezed her legs tight around him and his fingers dug into her flesh.

When she whined and stretched to kiss him again, his heart thudded heavily. Her fingers nimbly unbuttoned his jacket and slid it down his arms. He let it drop absently to the floor, in a hurry to get her body back in his hands.

Viktor slowed the kiss and his lips drifted across her cheek to her ear. “Do you have any idea what I’m going to do you?”

About the AuthorC.A. Worley is the alter-ego of Romance Author Cass Alexander. Where Cass tends to focus on humor in her publications, C.A. loves to write fantasy. She chose to write under the two different monikers so as to not confuse (or tick off) her readers.

C.A. currently resides in the Midwest, but was born and raised in the South. She spends her days working from home and her evenings are spent shuttling her kids to and fro. Her dinners are subpar, but she makes a mean dessert.

When she’s tired of living her sons’ travel sports schedules, C.A. enjoys a glass (or four) of wine. She needs the liquid courage to click the publish button for her fantasy romance novels.

Her motto is, “Be Brave,” and she tries to live it every day. It takes a healthy dose of courage to get through this thing we call life..

Welcome to the book blitz for THE HOUSE OF FIRE AND RAIN, the second book in the adult fantasy romance series, Firemountain Chronicles, by Victoria Lynn Osborne. See below information on the book and series, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.

THE HOUSE OF FIRE AND RAIN (Firemountain Chronicles #2) by Victoria Lynn Osborne

SynopsisDave Dobrowski is a detective in Firemountain. Things haven’t been the same in Firemountain since Dinah Steele took down Gleebelix. Now illegal prostitutes are dying in droves. Yet the legal brothel, The House of Fire and Rain, on tribal land is immune to a curse that is killing not only working girls but their clients. Dave and his alchemical partner Jolene Anderson, race to discover why legal girls are protected why illegals are dying and discover there is more than just morality at stake.

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Excerpt #2Jolene Anderson brushed her wavy auburn locks from her emerald green eyes and peered through a microscope at the sample brought to her. The yellow residue smelled of rotten eggs. She ran it through the centrifuge and separated the solution into its various parts.

“This isn’t sulfur,” she muttered to herself. She carefully put the separated infusion into test tubes and labeled them.

This would require using alchemy to further identify it. She would need to set up the apparatus to study them. Next she turned her attention to the millions of spiders. She put some of them in a viewing cup and slipped the device under the microscope. Using tiny tweezers, she broke off a leg and slipped it into the electron microscope.

“That’s odd,” she muttered, making a note in her book. “These spiders have no DNA.”

She took the samples into the laboratory. The inlaid circle flared to life as she activated the protections. She pulled supplies off the shelf, including several vials of holy water, manroot, belladonna, and whoresbreath.

The small cauldron was soon heated. Whispering an incantation, she slipped the spider into the solution. “Show me what you are,” she whispered, waving her hand over the bubbling pot.

The solution whirled brown and blue and the scent of rotten eggs filled the air. A spider appeared, only this spider had the head and body of a beautiful woman. This tiny woman had red luscious lips pursed in a blown kiss.

“What the hell is that?” Jolene took out a film camera and snapped a picture. The vision faded and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Jolene sat in the residual smoke, allowing herself to free-associate. She jotted down whatever came to mind as the scent faded from the alchemical lab. The spider/woman was called a whore’s curse, and she infected whores and their johns. Once in the world, they would spread quickly. No known way to stop them.

After her writing session ended, Jolene rubbed her fingers on her slacks. A bell in the main lab notified her that someone had come into the lab.

She shrugged into her lab coat and answered the summons. Dave Dobrowski, the detective from the Firemountain sheriff’s department, stood inside the lab.

“Dobrowski,” she greeted. She held her clipboard in her hands as she made a note.

“Have you gotten results from the samples turned in last night?” He flashed his badge.

“I know who you are.” Jolene took the printout from the computer. “I have run several tests, both scientific and occult. I am not sure how it’s possible, but these spiders have no DNA. Furthermore, the yellow substance that was all over the body is brimstone. When I ran the spider through the occult chemistry diffuser, it revealed that there was a tiny spider with a woman’s body and head attached. It is called ‘whore’s curse’ and is extremely virulent.”

“What does that mean?” Dobrowski asked.

“Well, this will spread. I learned from free-writing that this will spread through the prostitutes and destroy them and their clients.”

“Should we put the whorehouse on quarantine?”

“I don’t think that’s necessary. I think a thorough examination of the girls each day should be sufficient. Now that I know what I am looking for, it will be easier to spot it.”

“Okay, I will notify the madam that her physician needs to make a visit today and give them all an exam.”

“We found more of the spiders on a second victim, but so far the whorehouse has been clean. I went out there last night to visit with a girl I know there.” He trailed off, shuffling his feet.

Dobrowski glared at her. “You have no right to judge me. I am not someone who has no life. What I ‘get’ out there transcends simple sex.”

Jolene felt her stomach lurch. Her own secrets seemed petty.

“Well, call me if you find out anything new.” Dobrowski tipped his hat curtly and left the lab.

Jolene clutched the table, her legs weak. What would he say if he knew? She glanced at her watch. It was almost time to go to her other job. She filed her findings and flipped off the lights as she locked up.

About the AuthorVictoria Lynn Osborne has always had a passion for telling stories. She wrote her first short story at the age of five and has kept her finger on the artistic impulse of writing. This has taken the form of plays, Dungeons and Dragons, short stories, and now novels.

Her greatest passion is fantasy, especially epic, and urban fantasy. She also loves mysteries. Her book series Jason and Mortyiene mysteries are murder mysteries in a high fantasy setting. Her epic series The Great Wyrm Saga is due out in 2015.

Welcome to the book blitz for SOUL BORN, the first book in the adult fantasy series, Soul Born Saga, by Kevin James Breaux. See below information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on his giveaway.

SynopsisAll Opal wanted was to be respected as a wielder of magic, but her teachers passed her over time and time again. When a mysterious warlord embarks on a conquest to destroy the lands of Illyia, Opal seizes the opportunity to step out from the shadows of her instructors and take her rightful place among them. Tala, an alluring young elf, was banished from her tribe, hunted and nearly killed by the beasts of the deep forests, but more than anything else she is a survivor. Joining forces with an ancient elemental power, Tala finds herself in the center of an unrelenting human war. Flesh like leather and bone as strong as steel, Karn, a veteran from the first kingdom to fall, is fueled by vengeance. While pushing headlong into battle Karn begins recalling memories of another life: ghosts that haunt his dreams. Through death of soul, their new world is born.

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Excerpt #2The screams of wounded men deafened Karn as he opened his eyes to the blinding glare of sunlight off a damaged shield. Were it not for the echo of his own breath in his ears, he would have believed himself to be nothing more than the soul of a warrior, floating off, on its way to the cherished afterlife. Yet he was alive, even though chaos had surrounded him on all sides.

The enemy’s cavalry charge had decimated his troops and scattered the few men still alive and on their feet. To his left were thirteen of his luckier soldiers, unharmed and ready for combat. To his right, a fog of thick dust swirled around the horses that passed through his lines. Karn tried to ignore the cries of the wounded behind him but could not. When he turned, he saw the ruins of a small town coughing black smoke into the pale blue sky.

My home. Gone.

Another group of men, all wearing familiar black-and-purple sigils, rushed to his side. They screamed and pointed in the direction of the dust cloud. He might have heard their words if not deafened by a new sound, one that would have made his heart jump from his chest had it not been caged by thick plates of armor.

Enemy foot soldiers advanced in five long combat lines, all pounding the flats of their weapons against their shields. Although greatly outnumbered, those who could still grip a weapon joined him.

Karn shed his fear with a blood-chilling howl, raised his axe above his head, then slammed its handle down against the left breast of his armor.

As he rushed the front line he was struck with an odd thought. Unlike his own men, the enemy soldiers wore the cleanest plate armor and most pristine white tabards he had ever seen—details that he employed to fuel his rage. As he engaged his first combatant, he ordered his men to soil as many of the pretty kingdom soldiers as they could before they committed their souls to the god of war.

Karn’s axe was an extension of his hatred for the enemy. It crashed down and split the helmet of one man before it buried itself in the leg of another. With his shield braced to his shoulder, Karn rammed his way into the crowd of opponents in a savage rage. His men liked to call it a death wish, but he simply preferred to fight surrounded, where every swing of his axe would strike a body that stood against him.

Karn sliced high and low and his efforts dispatched man after man. Blood and gore splashed around him, and painted friend and foe alike.

I will kill them all!

A crushing blow shook Karn’s frame.

His mind searched for reason. He had seen something moments ago, yes, he recalled it. In the crowd, a man with a war hammer. Only a massive weapon such as that could create an impact that would jar his entire body forward.

As he turned to face his attacker, he was stabbed in his shoulder. His vision blurred for several blinks—a long enough time for two rival soldiers to seize the opportunity to grab his arms, while another much smaller man aimed his sword at his belly.

The enemy had him.

He growled with fury and spat blood in the face of one of the men who stabbed him, before he was run through.

He struggled with all his might, with all the might of his kinsmen. Karn’s enemies tightened their grips, but he still broke free.

He reversed the hold the soldier on his left had and shoved him into the path of the shorter man’s bloody sword, but this bought him the briefest respite, as the glimmer of sharp weapons sparkled in every direction.

“Kill you all!”

Karn’s legs buckled after one uneven step, and he fell headlong onto the soft earth. He could hear his foes rejoice—the final indication that his forces were defeated. He fought to stand, gripping the loose soil in tight fists as he pushed up. But his strength, like his life, faded with each drop of blood that spilled from his body. As the world around him faded to nothing, he heard one last, faint cheer: “Death to the warlord!”

Karn opened his eyes and his senses overwhelmed him. He hadn’t known what to expect—certainly not a deep autumn forest, pine trees so tall he had to tilt his head all the way back to see the tops that surrounded him. Karn’s heavy heart raced as he sat up on a bed of old pine needles. He struggled to comprehend his last memory: a battle, blood, death—it seemed so familiar. He shook his head and tried to disregard the images.

A nightmare; haunting and real, but just a nightmare…

He spotted an old lumberjack’s axe nearby, its wooden handle wrapped in leather so thin and dry it looked as if it would crumble upon touch.

This axe…

Karn picked it up and gauged its weight. He thought back to the axe from his nightmare: large and sharp, with runes etched into its blade and steel handle.

No, that axe was a war axe; it belonged in my hand. This one… He gazed at it and the trees around him. This is a chopping axe and it’s as foreign as this place surrounding me.

Karn swung the axe at the tree as he imagined a lumberjack would. The blade buried itself in the soft bark with a thud. He shook his head as he tugged the axe free. I didn’t sink my axe into trees–I sunk it into men: enemies of my kin.

Although he told himself the visions that flooded his mind were a bad dream, the fury of battle still built inside him.

Karn gnashed his teeth, swung the axe over his head, and released it on the tree in a slicing motion. The vibration of the strike up his forearm felt good, so he swung again and again. Slivers of dry bark flew from the tree, soon replaced by the splatter of gooey sap from fresh, green wood.

Engrossed in his attack, Karn did not hear the crunch of dry leaves beneath approaching feet.

He noted her style of dress, different from most of the young ladies of his lands’ court. She wore a beige blouse and a thick skirt, not unlike a commoner or farmer, yet hers were much cleaner than most.

Next, he noted her body, which was tall and lean, a good fit to her garb.

“Are you well?” she asked.

Karn recognized her long, wavy red hair. He remembered the cream-colored skin of her face and the sharp upturn of her lips. He was sure he knew this young woman intimately, but no matter how hard he tried to remember, her name escaped him.

“You’ve been resting in my father’s cabin for almost five days. This morning, when I rose, you were gone. I was scared to death,” the young woman said, her voice shaky.

He shrugged. “I awoke out here.”

“You’re still recovering from your injuries, my love. You shouldn’t be running about the forest.”

My love?

Karn could see her eyes as she drew closer. Not only were they filled with concern, but her irises were two different colors: one blue, one green. The sight caused something to flicker deep in his memory.

“Opal,” he announced. “Your parents gave you that nickname when you were seven summer cycles old because your eyes turned two different colors.”

“Yes, Karn.”

Karn tried to make sense of his current situation, but there were no answers in his mind, no recollections to call from, nothing more than a black wall of emptiness that stretched on forever in every direction.

“What happened to me? How did I get here?”

Opal stepped to Karn. Now chest to chest with him, she reached up and placed her hand on his shoulder. She gazed deep into his eyes and was silent for a moment before she spoke.

Karn called upon his memory again, and this time hundreds of jumbled images flashed through his mind. “You and I are lovers; we hope to raise a family together.”

“Yes, we’re lovers.” Opal spoke as she stepped around him to the tree he had hacked away at like a savage.

Karn shook his head and rubbed his temples. “Why do I feel so… so lost?”

He thought back and found more memories of Opal. While these moments appeared with ease, he strained to catch even the smallest fragments of time he had spent alone or with others.

“I-I belong somewhere…” Karn rubbed the bridge of his nose.

“Do not pressure yourself,” Opal said as she stared at the deep gashes in the tree. “You were wounded in the invasion; you suffered a grave head wound and should have died. You’re very fortunate the horse I gifted you was trained to return here if lost.”

Karn stepped to her side in time to hear the words trickle from her crimson lips. His heart sank into his stomach and his body felt cold. For a moment, he feared that his feet were going to float off the ground and topple him over.

“Invasion?”

Opal slowly distanced herself from him while she waved her hands around in a circular motion. From her palms, an orange-colored smoke sprayed and took the shape of an oblong window.

What is this? This-this is impossible… he thought. No, I remember this. This is magic. Opal’s magic.

Inside the smoky frame was a vision unlike any Karn remembered. The image, not dissimilar from an oil painting, was soft and blurry, which caused him to squint. As he stared in amazement, Opal began to speak.

“Weiden’s Rise was ambushed by a marauding warlord. Outnumbered, her army fell quickly, but not before her generals issued two poignant commands.”

As she spoke, the scene inside the smoky frame changed, like pages turning in a book. Images of his kingdom with an enormous army besieging its gates brought back the desire for violence he had experienced moments ago.

“Your father, one of the kingdom’s highest-ranking generals, ordered you and the cavalry under your command to protect the citizens of Weiden’s Rise as they fled through a secret tunnel. Another unit of cavalry, led by the king’s brother, was dispatched to engage the enemy and distract them from your egress.”

“I-I remember this,” Karn whispered as the images shifted from one static scene to the next, displaying exactly what Opal described.

“The king’s brother tried, but could not keep the attention of the enemy. Their scouts discovered the tunnel’s mouth. Before you could lead all the citizens from the tunnel into the forest, the enemy dispatched its fastest riders, a legion of mixed horse archers and light cavalry.”

Karn recognized the next scene—it was him and his men surrounded by the women and children of Weiden’s Rise. As her magic summoned the image, he gasped. No… I failed…

The citizens he had been ordered to protect ran in fright, some injured while others lay dead, pierced by many arrows. Karn spotted himself in the picture; he fought off the enemy’s cavalry while he utilized his horse to defend a fleeing family.

“Refusing to retreat, even when it was clear your efforts were futile, you and your men saved hundreds, Karn.”

“I was run through…” Karn said, as he recalled his dream.

“No,” Opal replied. “As you raced to the forest’s edge to rescue a group of children, you rode straight into a group of twenty enemy cavalry. Karn, you saved those children, but not without a cost. You were struck by a war hammer.”

The last image Karn saw was that of himself slumped over his horse. Blood had painted streaks down his face, as well as the flanks of his mount.

“You found me?” he said, as the orange smoke dissipated and blew away in the cool fall breeze.

“Yes, when I returned from my studies, I found you lying unconscious, your horse watching over you. You looked half-dead.” Opal paused to catch her breath. “I used my magic to heal you, but your wounds were severe, the worst I have ever tended to.”

Opal’s story had had an effect; his heart raced, and his brow was soaked. He wanted to scream and punch the nearest tree. Thoughts of his father, defeated and most likely dead at the hand of this nameless warlord, filled his mind.

“Calm yourself, my love.”

The look of concern in her eyes troubled him. Why do you look at me like that? Am I still ill… or do you fear me?

“Karn, please, don’t allow yourself to be overcome with these emotions—not when there’s still so much to achieve.”

Karn’s mind raced with jumbled thoughts. “Achieve? What do you mean? Wait, does the warlord remain in Weiden’s Rise?”

Opal placed her hand on his chest and looked deep into his eyes. Her proximity in that moment made him uncomfortable, so he glanced away, but not before a flash of magical energy emanated from her eyes: green and blue, a match to the color of each iris.

“You cannot confront the warlord alone. You need my help,” Opal said, slow and clear. “Allow me to take you to my teachers at the High Council; they can aid us in this coming conflict.”

“I need help.”

Opal nodded. “Yes.”

“Fine, let us seek out your teachers.”

Opal smiled before she leaned in and gave Karn a brief kiss on the lips. “I need you to rest first. Can you rest for me?”

Karn nodded.

“Good.”

Opal watched Karn turn and march off in the direction she had come from. Once he disappeared into the forest, she shifted her attention to the shadows that painted the trees around her.

“All clear,” she said with confidence.

From high above, near the tops of the great pines of the forest, the man she called her mentor lowered himself slowly. Malek was her head trainer and the overseer of her special mission. In his late sixties, Malek stood tall and thin, covered in the dark sapphire-colored mage’s robes— said to be made, in part, of cockatrice hide—that only the instructors of the High Council were permitted to wear. He ran his hand through his tight-cropped white hair, scratching lightly, then down his cheek to his thick goatee. When he spoke, he did so in a deep, commanding voice.

“You must pay closer attention to your surroundings, fledgling.”

“What? I—”

“It has been less than a week since we enchanted him with the Ancient Warlord’s Soul spell.” Malek removed his hood and ran his hand over his tight cropped white hair. “This boy here might be our last chance to defeat our enemy. There’s no room for childish mistakes.”

Opal crossed her arms. “You think I don’t know that?”

The old mage gave her the same look he always gave her when her rebellious nature flared. Using his long, ornate staff like a cane, he walked toward the tree that Karn had assaulted. Opal watched her mentor study the cuts. He no doubt realizes just how deep they are now. Karn is much stronger than they ever imagined.

“Fascinating,” Malek said after he cleared his throat and coughed, spittle dripping into his unkempt white goatee. “However, it remains obvious to me that he requires further battle testing.”

“I agree.”

“Very well then. Ferry him to the fortress, so we can evaluate his abilities appropriately…” Malek paused to glare at Opal. “As we do all our students.”

“I already convinced him that he needs to visit the High Council in search of aid,” Opal replied with a smirk. “I will bring him later tonight. Then you may do as you wish, Malek.”

“I always do as I wish, fledgling.”

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Kevin James Breaux

About the AuthorKevin James Breaux has written nine books and devoted the past twelve years of his life to crafting short stories and novels. He is a member of the Horror Writers Association, Paranormal Romance Guild, and other groups.

Welcome to the book blitz for ILLUSIONS, a stand-alone young adult historical fantasy romance by Madeline J. Reynolds. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive teaser, and details on her giveaway.

I know you’re angry. It’s true, I was sent to expose your mentor as a fraud illusionist, and instead I have put your secret in jeopardy. I fear I have even put your life in jeopardy. For that I can only beg your forgiveness. I’ve fallen for you. You know I have. And I never wanted to create a rift between us, but if it means protecting you from those who wish you dead―I’ll do it. I’ll do anything to keep you safe, whatever the sacrifice. Please forgive me for all I’ve done and what I’m about to do next. I promise, it’s one magic trick no one will ever see coming.

Love,
Saverio

Thomas Pendelton was born into wealth and prestige. He has a sensitive heart and wants nothing more than to write poetry. Instead, he is apprenticing for Neville Wighton the Great, an aging magician who has become somewhat crazed over the years in his pursuit of fame. With Thomas’ help, Wighton is about to premiere the greatest illusion seen by man, for Thomas possesses something no other illusionist has: real magic. Many in the theatrical world are desperate to learn Wighton’s big secret. One such magician is Paolo il Magnifico. His apprentice, Saverio Moretti, is also seeking the answer. He has a scheme to get close to Wighton by seducing Thomas but seduction turns to real feelings. Now the young men must struggle to keep the secret of their romance, as well as the secret of Thomas’ magic, as both of these things could cost Thomas his life. Through journal entries, posters, letters, and other documents, ILLUSIONS is a story of love, betrayal, and of course, magic.

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About the AuthorMadeline J. Reynolds is a YA fantasy author living in Chicago. Originally from Minneapolis, she has a background in journalism and has always loved storytelling in its various forms. When not writing, she can be found exploring the city, eating Thai food, or lost in an epic Lord of the Rings marathon..

Author Annette Marie is unveiling the cover to TWO WITCHES AND A WHISKEY, the third book in her new adult urban fantasy series, The Guild Codex: Spellbound, releasing February 8, 2019. See below for the cover, information on the book and series, and a link to add it to your Goodreads TBR.

TWO WITCHES AND A WHISKEY (The Guild Codex – Spellbound #3) by Annette Marie

SynopsisThree months ago, I landed a job as a bartender. But not at a bar—at a guild. Yeah, the magic kind.

I’m not a badass mage like my three smokin’ hot best friends. I’m not a sorcerer or an alchemist, or even a wussy witch. I’m just a human, slinging drinks like a pro and keeping my non-magical nose out of mythic business. Seriously, I know my limits.

So why am I currently standing in a black-magic ritual circle across from a fae lord?

Somewhere behind me, my three mage friends are battling for their lives. Somewhere near my feet is the rogue witch I just knocked out with a stolen spell. And I have about three seconds to convince this very angry sea god not to shmoosh me like a bug.

About the AuthorAnnette Marie is the author of the Amazon best-selling Steel & Stone series, which includes Goodreads Choice Award nominee Yield the Night, and fantasy trilogy Red Winter. Her first love is fantasy, but fast- paced urban fantasy and tantalizing forbidden romances are her guilty pleasures. She lives in the frozen winter wasteland of Alberta, Canada (okay, it’s not quite that bad) with her comparatively sensible husband and their furry minion of darkness—sorry, cat—Caesar. When not writing, she can be found elbow-deep in one art project or another while blissfully ignoring all adult responsibilities.

Welcome to the blog tour for FLYNN NIGHTSIDER AND THE EDGE OF EVIL, the fist book in the young adult fantasy romance series, Flynn Nightsider, by Mary Fan. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.

FLYNN NIGHTSIDER AND THE EDGE OF EVIL (Flynn Nightsider #1) by Mary Fan

SynopsisBreak the enchantments. Find the truth. Ignite the revolution.

A century ago, the Enchanters defeated the evil Lord of the Underworld, but not before he’d unleashed his monsters and ravaged the earth. The Enchanters built the Triumvirate out of what remained of the United States, demanding absolute obedience in exchange for protection from the lingering supernatural beasts.

Sixteen-year-old FlynnNightsider, doomed to second-class life for being born without magic, knows the history as well as anyone. Fed up with the Triumvirate’s lies and secrecy, he longs for change. And when he stumbles across a clue that hints at something more – secrets in the dark, the undead, and buried histories – he takes matters into his own hands.

Before long, Flynn finds himself hunted not only by the government, but also by nightmarish monsters and a mysterious man with supernatural powers … all seeking him for reasons he cannot understand. Rescued by underground rebels, he’s soon swept up in their vision of a better world, guided by a girl as ferocious as the monsters she fights. But as the nation teeters on the brink of revolution, Flynn realizes three things.

The rebellion is not what it seems.

Flynn himself might be more than he seems.

And the fate of the world now rests in his hands..

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ExcerptFlynn looked up in time to see one of the library’s floating lanterns crash down. Shocked, he jumped out of the way. It smashed onto the table in front of him, spilling shards across the marble surface. The sound of glass shattering filled the air as more lights fell, until shadows swallowed the library. “What the hell?”

A hideous, otherworldly cackle echoed through the dark library, reverberating against the bookshelves. Flynn swallowed hard. It had to be another specter. Only specters had those creepy, unearthly voices. Worse, it seemed to have undone the magic keeping the lanterns suspended. But was it an escaped classroom spirit this time? Or another anarchist attack?

Either way, he had to get out before the specter found him. He glanced at Brax, who was vaguely visible in the pale moonlight shining through the window. Before he could say anything, the table flew up from the ground. It crashed through the window, but the shards remained suspended in the air. Flynn stared, cold sweat breaking out on his brow. The glass’s knife-sharp points floated toward him and hovered dangerously close to his face.

Now he was certain this wasn’t one of the mild-mannered specters Williams usually summoned for demos. This was a full-blown malevolent spirit, the kind that fed on terror, craved human screams, and delighted in the warmth of fresh blood. This meant that either the anarchists were attacking again, or the specter—like the wraiths from the previous night—had grown more powerful than the perimeter.

Whatever the case, he was done for. The specter would send those shards tearing through his body, and that hideous cackle would be the last thing he’d hear before falling into the Netherworld. Flynn clenched his jaw, doing his best to shove down his fear. Fear only made specters stronger, and he wasn’t about to give it one more advantage. There had to be a way out of this. He wished he could run, but the specter was near, invisible but watching, and a single movement could cause it to strike.

The shards vibrated as they drew back like a hundred glass arrows poised to fly from taut strings. Flynn stared back at them, and a powerful sense of defiance outshone his fear. Come get me, then.

About the AuthorMary Fan lives in New Jersey, where she is currently working in financial marketing. She has also resided in North Carolina, Hong Kong, and Beijing, China. She has been an avid reader for as long as she can remember and especially enjoys the infinite possibilities and out-of-this-world experiences of science fiction and fantasy.

Mary has a B.A. in Music, specializing in composition, from Princeton University and enjoys writing songs as much as writing stories. She also enjoys kickboxing, opera singing, and exploring new things–she’ll try almost anything once.

Welcome to the blog tour for THE SOCIETY, book four in the young adult fantasy series, Ascension, by USA Today bestselling author, K.A. Linde. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, and an exclusive excerpt.

SynopsisThe fourth book in the fantasy Ascension series that NYT bestselling author Susan Dennard called “perfect for fans of Sarah J Maas.”

War is on the horizon.

All while a new power grows strong, threatening the very balance of good and evil.

Desperate to save her homeland, Cyrene goes in search of the dragons that may be the key to ending this battle—and heal her dying friend.

Can Cyrene master her magic to save the world?

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ExcerptThere is a power brewing in Emporia, Cyrene. And I can’t shake the feeling, and I cannot pinpoint it. But it is there, and it is growing.”

Cyrene felt the same words that Serafina had echoed in one of her spirit dreams. A dark power had threatened to take Cyrene out of the dream. She had even succeeded in pulling Cyrene to her where she was cloaked in shadow. She’d told Cyrene to come to her and given her a portaling coin to do so. Cyrene still kept the coin with her at all times…even though she’d sworn to Vera and Matilde and Serafina that she would never use it.

“Like what Serafina said.”

“She was what made me test that energy. Her warning prompted me to check into the matter.”

“And?”

Vera shook her head. “It is worrisome, but it is not here. Not yet.” Her face was still pale though, and she looked nervous.

“What does it mean?”

“You know the story of the Creator, yes?”

“Of course,” Cyrene said. “She created all life and brought about the first people. She was the one who blessed the very first Doma with her powers.”

Vera nodded. “That is only half of the story.”

“As with all light, there is always darkness. A push and a pull. A yin and a yang,” Vera explained. She looked sideways, as if expecting Matilde to be there to finish her sentences. “As the story goes, the Creator had a sibling—the Destroyer. Two goddesses who brought life and death, good and evil, creation and destruction.”

“Okay. But it’s just a story.”

“Is it?” Vera whispered. “Aren’t all of your stories true? You believed them all to be myths. Dragons, Braj, Leifs. Just myths. How is this any different?”

“And you believe the energy you are feeling, that Serafina fears, and that found me in my dream was the goddess of destruction?” Cyrene’s eyes widened in abject horror. “Are you saying a god walked into my dream?”

Vera shook her head. “I don’t know. Yes. Maybe.”

“Well, that seems reasonable.”

Vera laughed unabashedly. “Oh, Cyrene, you always surprise me.”

“I mean, I tend to believe that the thing I least expect is probably most likely.”

“There’s no guarantee that this is the case,” Vera said. “I could be imagining it.”

“But you don’t think so.”

“No, I should have seen the signs long ago. Who else could be controlling the Braj, the Indres, and the Nokkin? They are her children after all. Created out of darkness and used as weapons. The Nokkin were the first descendants of the Doma. A family that magic corrupted and turned into horrible creatures that could suck the magic out of people, bent on destruction. There were signs. Just like there were signs the last time. And we did not see them.”

“The last time?” Cyrene asked. “Do you mean…these same things were happening during the War of the Light when Viktor killed Serafina?”

Vera nodded once.

“And did you see this goddess then?”

“No. Just her influence.”

“So, I might be about to fly into a panic for no reason.”

Vera smiled. “Perhaps. We have the gift of foresight, as we know both the prophecy and how this ended in the past. We can stop this, Cyrene. You can stop this. I believe in you. The past does not dictate the future, and you choose your destiny. Nothing is set in stone until it happens.”

“And here I thought, the worst part of my night was letting the man with the red feather slip through my fingers.”

“Let me worry for you. Creator knows I already do it enough,” Vera said. “Focus on the task at hand. We cannot fight an enemy we cannot see…and if we are unprepared, we will lose.”

About the AuthorK.A. Linde grew up as a military brat and created fantastical stories based off of her love for Disney movies, fairy tales, and Star Wars. In her spare time, she is an avid traveler, loves reading young adult novels, and dancing. Additionally, K.A. has written more than a dozen adult novels and is a USA Today bestselling author. She lives in Lubbock, TX with her husband and two super adorable puppies.

K.A. Linde loves to hear from her readers! You can contact her at kalinde45@gmail.com or visit her online..

Today is release day for THE SOCIETY, book four in the young adult fantasy series, Ascension, by USA Today bestselling author, K.A. Linde. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, and an exclusive teaser.

About the AuthorK.A. Linde grew up as a military brat and created fantastical stories based off of her love for Disney movies, fairy tales, and Star Wars. In her spare time, she is an avid traveler, loves reading young adult novels, and dancing. Additionally, K.A. has written more than a dozen adult novels and is a USA Today bestselling author. She lives in Lubbock, TX with her husband and two super adorable puppies.

K.A. Linde loves to hear from her readers! You can contact her at kalinde45@gmail.com or visit her online..

Welcome to the book blitz for THE FIGHTER OF ALDEA, a stand-alone young adult fantasy by Kira Weston. See below for information the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.

THE FIGHTER OF ALDEA by Kira Weston

About the BookTitle: THE FIGHTER OF ALDEAAuthor: Kira WestonRelease Date: October 15, 2018Genre: Young Adult FantasyLinks:Goodreads | Amazon

Synopsist’s the year 2216, and ever since Lydia Humsworth was little, she’s heard stories about electricity that used to light up skylines and planes that soared through the sky like birds. There were also stories about The Shift, which plunged the world into darkness nearly two hundred years ago and gave some people magical abilities. These people came to call themselves sorcerers.

Now, in the small village of Aldea, sixteen-year-old Lydia is training to be a Fighter in hopes of one day protecting her village. Her best friend, Daniel, spends his days working long hard hours on the farm. Humans and sorcerers have always seemed to coincide peacefully, but when Leonardo Kinch–a deranged sorcerer who blames humans for the death of his family–starts a war against humans, nothing is as they believed.

When war rages across the country, Lydia and Daniel must do everything they can to stop the war and stay alive, or risk the human race falling into extinction.

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LydiaI jump up and before I’m even back on the ground, I swing out at his face. I nearly get a tap, but Joshua manages to duck away. He groans angrily and jabs at my stomach. I suck it in and jump backward, but I’m closer to the edge than I’d thought and my back slams into the rope.

Joshua smirks. He knows he’s got the upper-hand.

He goes for my stomach again, but I slip out of the way, dive into a roll that takes me behind him, and spin around to face him.

He whirls around and slices his stick down toward the top of my head. I grab my stick with both hands and hold it above me. Block.

I realize he’s holding his vertically like a sword, as opposed to holding it horizontally above his head. Bad form. I push my stick against his, forcing it toward his body. A look of confusion crosses Joshua’s face. Then I give his stick a good shove with my own, thrusting him backward enough that he loses his balance and falls down onto the mat, flat on his back.

While he’s down, I jab my stick toward his neck and tap his throat. The fight is over.

Joshua looks up at me with wide eyes, probably realizing what the result of a full force hit like that would be, and I suddenly become very aware of the fact that I’m glaring down at him. Had I wanted to fight again for revenge? What if I had lost my cool? Then I wouldn’t have been any better than he was.

Except, I didn’t hit him, whether a part of me wanted to or not. And I certainly didn’t cheat. That’s not who I am, or ever want to be.

Finally, the blood from my scratches runs all the way down my face, and just as a single drop of blood falls onto the mat, I hear the whistle.

“Winner! Lydia Humsworth!”

The crowd cheers. I’m brought back to reality. During the fight, it was as if everything and everyone had melted away and become silent. Nothing existed but me, my opponent, and the ring. I look up at the crowd who’s roaring for me. Daniel, Lucas, and my mom are cheering louderthan anyone else. It hits me: I won.

I put my stick down and look up at the audience, letting my victory sink in before turningback to help Joshua up. I hold out my hand, but he shoves it away and gets up on his own.

We bow. He looks mad again. So many remarks run through my head. I told you so. Sorry to burst your bubble.

He seems a little surprised at my humility, but he doesn’t return it. All he does is sneer andbow his head in return. Then we separate to have quick words with our instructors before the final winners are announced.

“Well done, Lydia,” Mr. Neil tells me, handing me a towel to wipe my face with. “You had the upper hand for most of the fight and you did some quick thinking with that final move. It was different, unexpected, and intelligent.”

“Thank you, sir,” I say politely. I’m surprised by his kind words, but I can also tell that he’sholding something back. I sigh. “What is it?”

He shifts his eyes to the side, then looks back at me. “You’re still too slow.” I purse my lips. Of course…

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Author Kira Weston

About the AuthorKira Weston writes Young Adult fiction, often day-dreaming the what-ifs of magic and science fiction, and how they might affect the world. Her debut novel, The Fighter of Aldea, comes out October 15th, 2018. Kira grew up in Las Vegas, NV under the hot sun and the distant lights of the famous Las Vegas Strip, and now resides in Colorado, which is much cooler—most of the time.

Kira currently works in retail, but hopes to put her main focus on storytelling in the near future, whether it be through books, movies, or something in between. When she’s not writing, she spends her time befriending cats, hoping for rain, drinking mochas, and listening to music.